Pentagon Leads 1.9% Rise in Factory Orders

Factory orders gained 1.9% in June, the second month in a row that orders for weapons boosted the total for the slumping industrial economy, the government said today.

Orders for aircraft, ships, electrical machinery and communications equipment soared during the month, more than making up for a decline in auto orders. Excluding defense orders, the increase in orders would be far less, 0.9%.